U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was back in Indianapolis on Friday, this time addressing thousands of students in town for the National FFA Convention and Expo.

It was DeVos' third visit to the city since her appointment by President Donald Trump, making it one of her most frequented locales outside of Washington, D.C. She used the gathering of agriculturally minded students from across the country to plug the Trump administration's interest in technical education as an alternative to college.

"President Trump and I share your mission and vision," DeVos said. "This administration believes students need to know about and understand the many option possible to pursue, because more and more students are seeking something other than a traditional four-year college degree.

"Many, I suspect many of you, are choosing to pursue a rigorous technical education program leading to well-compensated opportunities in high-demand fields."

DeVos was a controversial pick for the top education post; Vice President Mike Pence had to cast a tie-breaking vote to get DeVos confirmed. Indiana has served as a blueprint of sorts for the administration's education priorities, like expanded school choice.

DeVos' focus on career and technical education Friday was in lockstep with recent state-level talks about better aligning Indiana's graduation standards with the needs of business and industry. The state is considering adding more pathways for career and technical education-minded students and allowing things like after-school jobs to count toward new graduation requirements.

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U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos addresses students at the National FFA Convention and Expo at Banker's Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis on Friday, Oct. 27, 2017,(Photo: Arika Herron/IndyStar)

After opening the convention day at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday morning, DeVos sat in on a private roundtable with students and visited the massive FFA Expo at the Indiana Convention Center, where students could tour hundreds of exhibitor booths and even test their pipes at the karaoke stage.

Country staples like Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" and Little Big Town's "Better Man" were belted through the hall while DeVos talked agriculture careers with a student from Chapman, Kan.

"I talked to her about the Ag Explorer, where you can take the quiz and figure out which career will best (suit) you," said Reagan Dalke, a junior at Chapman High School. "It was very accurate for me. Ag advocacy was my first choice and I'm the Ag Advocate in my FFA chapter."

DeVos' visit Friday officially makes Indianapolis one of her most-visited cities since assuming her post.

DeVos was in Indianapolis last month to wrap up her back-to-school tour. She visited the Hope Academy, an Indianapolis charter school serving students in addition recovery, and Eastern Hancock High School, just east of the city, where she met some members of that school's FFA chapter.

"I ate some of the best pulled pork and apple crisp I've had in years, all executed by the FFA team," DeVos said. "I was struck by their enthusiasm. They were excited about what they were learning and excited about their futures.

"All students should have the opportunity to learn in ways that engage and excite them."

Previously, DeVos visited Indianapolis in May to speak at the American Federation for Children summit and visited a private school participating in the state's voucher program. Called the Choice Scholarship program, Indiana's initiative to use public dollars to cover private school tuition costs for low-income families is the largest in the country.

Prior to her role with the federal education department, DeVos played an influential role in developing Indiana's voucher program, in part by routing millions of dollars in campaign contributions and school choice support to the state.